Of Pink Hair and Spanish Flair

I don't own Fairly Odd Parents. Butch Hartman does.

WARNING!: This series is about JuandissimoxCupid. Don't like, don't read.

Relationship: Lovers.

Word: Nightmare.

…

Cupid is in his kitchen, sorting out a cup of coffee, when he hears the doors to his home slam. The sound makes him jump and he looks over his shoulder. Sometimes, if Juandissimo ever has a bad day at work, he takes his anger out on the doors by slamming them as hard as he can. But this time is different. As the doors slam, the lights go out; snuffed out like candles. Cupid blinks several times, trying to get his eyes adjusted to the darkness, "Juan?"

There is no reply.

Cupid reaches into his pocket and retrieves his wand, holding it up into the darkness. The star lights up, allowing him a little light, and he uses it as a torch; checking different parts of the room, "Juan? Is that you?"

There is still no reply.

"Pretty sure I paid the electricity bill…" Cupid mutters and, unless his father had not fixed the wires up as well as he thought, this should not be happening. Perhaps it is just a power outage. Cupid briefly wonders if all of Fairy World is experiencing the same thing. Cupid looks over to the kitchen doorway and gulps when he realizes the real problem here: someone is in his house. "Juandissimo?" He calls out again, hoping that his Spanish boyfriend will appear at any second. "Juan? Come on, this isn't funny. Turn the lights back on."

That must be it. Juandissimo is joking around with him again. Yup, that's it. Juandissimo is responsible. Cupid knows he is just telling himself this because he is getting scared, but it relaxes him a little so he decides to believe that, yes, this is another one of Juandissimo's pranks. His boyfriend will appear in a moment and Cupid will have a right go at him.

And then he hears footsteps.

Cupid gulps. Juandissimo - like every other fairy - usually floats, but sometimes decides to use the legs he was born with to move forward rather then his wings. But the footsteps are heavier then that of an adult fairy's. Even if Juandissimo has had a bad day, he is not able to stomp that loudly. "Juan?" Cupid calls out again. The God begins to step forward, lightly and hesitantly, toward the doorway; continuing to hold his wand up like a light. As the God steps into the living room, he immediately scans the darkness with his eyes. His eyes make out the walls and the sofa and the stairs. "Juan?" He calls out again. Cupid only just now notices that his cherubs are also no where to be found, "Monty? Carl? You guys there?"

His most trusted cherubs do not reply. They are not there.

"Juandissimo, I'm serious. This isn't funny." He clings on to the theory that this is a prank and Juandissimo will jump out of the shadows at any moment. The footsteps have stopped by now too and Cupid wonders if, perhaps, Jorgen Von Strangle is somehow involved in this prank. The footsteps sound like they could be from his shoes. Cupid gulps again, "Jorgen…? That you?…Look, I'm sorry for threatening to get my uncle down here, but you asked for it…Jorgen? J-Juandissimo? Come on, guys, this isn't funny…" Cupid swallows the lump in his throat and thinks of one more person who would, perhaps, try to scare him, "Anteros? Is that you? Come on, this isn't funny, brother…I'll tell Mom and Dad." He knows this is a childish threat, but his brother is still living with their parents, so they can still punish him - and their parents really know how to punish their children.

And then Cupid notices the figure beside the sofa.

He gulps. It is too tall to be Juandissimo or Anteros (unless they have used magic to make themselves - or some other thing - taller) and too thin to be Jorgen. The head is shaped differently then Jorgen's as well, but it is familiar… "Dad?" Cupid asks. He sees the outline of his father - or what he hopes is his dear dad. "Is…Is that you?"

It makes sense. Hephaestus is about Jorgen's height (or maybe a little bit taller. Cupid has never exactly measured them or anything. Besides, they're both huge compared to him). And Hephaestus's shoes would probably sound like that on Cupid's floor (his father has not visited him in months, so he couldn't recall what the noise of his dad's shoes on his floor sounded like). Cupid couldn't think of any reason for his father being there though, except… "Are you here to fix the lights?"

When he gets no reply, Cupid looks up and down his father's figure. Perhaps there is a reason for him being so silent. Maybe he is wounded. "Dad?" And then Cupid sees the thing his father is holding in his right hand: a cane. He thinks that is what is, anyway. Cupid's brow creases. His father does not carry a cane. "…Apollo?" He asks, just in case. The figure doesn't look like Apollo, but he knows the God carries a cane with him most of the time. Cupid squints as he makes out the cane in the darkness. It is not question mark-shaped. This person is not Apollo. "…Great-uncle Hades?" It is silly for Cupid to assume this because Hades' staff is taller then that. Besides, Hades does not come out of the Underworld unless he needs to. This person is not great-uncle Hades. Cupid stares at the cane in their hand. It is long and thin. He guesses it is black because he cannot make out any other colour. His eyes travel up the cane and he sees there is something shiny perched on top, half covered by the person's hand. The shiny thing is a diamond as big as his father's palm and Cupid begins to tremble. Only one person carries a cane with a diamond perched on top.

Cupid does not need the light of his wand to see the lips pull back in a grin, revealing the array of sharp, shark teeth. The eyes flick open and blood-red irises bore into Cupid's soul.

Cupid's greatest fear is in his house. This is scarier then any mouse or spider he has ever faced.

Cupid steps back. "Y…You're not allowed to be here…Y…You're not allowed on the other side of the gate…"

A laugh is let out. The person speaks in a voice that is similar to that of Cupid's father, "Looks like Daddy didn't build the gate up to scratch, eh?"

Cupid's trembling becomes more violent. It is completely up to Hephaestus on how strong the gate leading to the most diabolical anti-race is. Cupid steps back, away from the intruder. "You…you can't hurt me…"

"Can't I?" The question is sarcastic.

"Y…You can't…"

"I assure you that I can." The grins widens and the eyes fill with glee, "And I will."

Cupid runs. He runs towards the stairs, dropping his wand in his panic. He curses himself for being so clumsy. Before he can reach the stairs, they disappear. He skids to a halt and watches as his house begins to disappear, covered by the shadows that seem to be seeping down the walls. His house is gone and he is left in an area of complete darkness. Still, he runs. He does not get far before his greatest fear's fingers close around both of his legs at once and he is trapped. Cupid falls and his chin hit's the invisible floor. The God can only attempt to cling to the floor as he is dragged toward the hole in the floor that his fear is now disappearing through.

Hope sparks within him when he sees another figure. This one is not clouded within the darkness, "Dad!"

His father looks over his shoulder at him, a neutral expression upon features that are usually kind and gentle. "Dad! Help me!" Cupid calls desperately as he is dragged backwards. He can feel his feet disappearing through the hole now, "Dad!" He digs into the floor with his fingernails, but they do nothing to stop him from being dragged, "Dad, please!"

His father stares over his shoulder. His neutral expression turns into one of disgust as he gazes upon his son. Then Hephaestus turns and walks and never looks back.

Cupid gasps and feels tears develop in his eyes, "Dad! Please, help me! Dad! Dad!"

His lower body is disappearing now. It is like he is being pulled into black quicksand. He clings desperately onto the floor and his body numbs when he realizes that his father no longer cares.

Someone steps into the light beside him. Cupid looks to the shoe that has just appeared, then his eyes follow the leg up onto the body then to the head. It is a long shot, but he is desperate. "Anti-Cupid!" He pleads to his counterpart, who stands before him, grinning at his despair. "Please, help me." His upper body is disappearing now and he feels the darkness around his neck. "Please…" One hand is still gripping at the invisible floor.

Anti-Cupid looks down at him, then smirks, "Feel the pain I once endured when my father stopped loving me." And he stomps down on Cupid's only remaining hand, making it release the floor.

Cupid gasps as he is swallowed by the darkness, dragged down by his greatest fear. His hand still reaches for the air, for any hand that may grip his, then disappears with the rest of his body.

He screams as he is pulled down to hell.

…

Cupid is laying down now. He is kicking and flailing and he cannot stop. Something is on his wrists, pinning them down on either side of his head, and he struggles to get free. His eyes are tightly shut in both fear and half-drowsiness. He is on the line that separates dreams and reality; sleep and awake; unconsciousness and consciousness. Someone is calling to him. He is too scared to listen. Their voice gets louder.

Cupid's vision is now blurry and fuzzy. The room is dim. His body is cold. There are two purple orbs above him, each with a black dot in the middle of them. The things on his wrists are warm and he recognises the feeling of fingers curled around them. The voice becomes clearer, "Cupido! Wake up! Cupido!" It is urgent yet somewhat gentle. It is not an order, it is a plea.

Cupid's eyes suddenly snap open. Everything is clear now. The room is dim because of the lamps on both of the bedside tables; his body is cold because of the layer of sweat that had developed during his sleep and the two purple orbs with the black dots in the middle belong to his boyfriend, who looks worried and perhaps somewhat scared. Cupid pants as his illusions disappear. He can only stare as his boyfriend stays above him, pinning his wrists down with both hands. "Ay, caramba…" Juandissimo mutters, "You were kicking me in your sleep. You kept calling for Señor Hephaestus too…"

Cupid feels the tears begin to seep out of his eyes and suddenly sits up, forcing his boyfriend to let him go and kneel back on the bed to avoid their heads colliding. Juandissimo stares as Cupid continues to pant, to catch his breath. The God runs a hand his hair. He tries to cover up the droplets that begin to pour from his eyes by wiping them discreetly with his sleeves. Juandissimo tilts his head. Cupid waves a hand at him, "I'm fine…"

"Mi amor, you and I both know you are not fine." Juandissimo says.

Cupid shakes his head, "I am. I'm fine."

Juandissimo shakes his head as well. He reaches out, almost hesitantly, making sure it is ok before scooping Cupid into his arms. Juandissimo sits there, cross-legged, and does not even flinch as Cupid captures his shirt in a vice-like grip. "You are not fine. Talk to me, please."

Cupid shakes his head, not because he doesn't want to talk but because he cannot describe it. He does not want to name his greatest fear. "You were saying my name," Juandissimo says, "Jorgen's too. And Anteros…Did we hurt you?"

Cupid shakes his head, "Not you. Someone else…"

"Who?"

Cupid hesitates. Should he tell him? "…The Anti-Cupid." Juandissimo's curiosity is too strong. If Cupid were to mention his greatest fear's part in this, Juandissimo would keep asking questions. Cupid is not ready for that.

"You've never feared him before."

"This time was different."

Juandissimo holds him tighter, so tight that the side of Cupid's head is now pressed to his boyfriend's chest and he hears Juandissimo's heart thumping in his ribcage. "Now, what could he have possibly done to upset you so?"

"He…he just…I can't explain it. I don't remember." That is a lie. He remembers it well.

Feel the pain I once endured when my father stopped loving me.

Juandissimo plants a kiss on top of Cupid's head, "I would never let him hurt you. I would never let anything hurt you, Cupido. You are too precioso to me."

Cupid pulls himself closer to his boyfriend (if that is even possible). He does not know what that word means, but it has been said by Juandissimo, so it must mean something fairly romantic. A small smile graces Cupid's lips. Of course he is safe. He has the protection of the Gods, of Fairy World and - more importantly - of his loving boyfriend, who is always at his side; especially when he needs him. Really, when has Juandissimo never been at his side when Cupid needed him most? They have been through too much - Eliminators, the Darkness, Anti-Gods and anti-fairies - to let anything stand against them now.

Juandissimo listens to Cupid's part of the conversation he is having with his father on the phone. It is brief because the older God is tired, but that does not stop him showing concern and even offering to go to Fairy World (in the middle of the night!) to comfort his son. "It's ok, Dad," Cupid says as Juandissimo lifts his free hand to kiss at the fingers, "Juandissimo's got that under control."

Once the conversation is over and the phone is put down, Juandissimo gets Cupid to lay down. The fairy lays next to him and pulls the blanket up for the God, then immediately wraps his arms around his boyfriend; holding him to his chest. Cupid plays with a lock of Juandissimo's long, black hair (the fairy is wearing his hair down tonight) as Juandissimo looks worriedly at him, "Feel any better? Do you want me to go and get you some coffee?"

Cupid shakes his head as he twirls Juandissimo's hair on one of his fingers, "No. This is perfect."

It is perfect because reality is back. It is perfect because the lights work. It is perfect because he has been reassured by his own father that the man who helped give him life still loves him and would certainly save him from impending doom. It is perfect because the two people he despises most are gone. It is especially perfect because his boyfriend does not mock him nor think of him as silly for being afraid of an illusion in the mind nor does he leave him to 'man up'. This boyfriend of his does not leave his side for more then two seconds until he is completely sure that Cupid is ok. Even then, he continues to stay by him, just because he can and wants to.

Finally, Cupid falls asleep again, only to dream of the perfect Valentine's Day (their Valentine's Day, on February fifteenth).

…

Author's note:

You can work out who that was in Cupid's nightmare, can't you? Of course you can. You're a smart bunch.

Tried present tense, since it just felt like this one-shot needed to be in present tense. I'm not used to this tense, so there's probably some mistakes in there somewhere. Far too used to past tense, that's me.

HamTheWolf, I've gotten you into this pairing?…My work here is done. *Walks back into the shadows*